#636 Dan Weijers: The Philosophy of Wellbeing and Happiness
RECORDED ON MARCH 10th 2022.
Dr. Dan Weijers is a permanent Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Programme at the University of Waikato, in New Zealand. His research specialties include normative ethics (especially hedonism, wellbeing, and experimental normative ethics), applied ethics (especially the ethics of prediction markets; e.g. PredictIt), and interdisciplinary happiness/wellbeing research (especially wellbeing and public policy, philosophy of happiness science, and conceptions of happiness).
In this episode, we talk about wellbeing and happiness. We start with some definitions, and then get into topics like the factors behind wellbeing, and cross-cultural differences in how people think about happiness. We ask if philosophers and religious people are happier. We talk about public policies that target wellbeing, focusing on New Zealand. We discuss hedonism, and Robert Nozick’s experience machine. Finally, we ask if wellbeing can be taught.
Time Links:
Intro
What is wellbeing? What is happiness?
The factors behind wellbeing
Cross-cultural differences in how people think about happiness
Are the philosophers happier?
What about religious people?
Public policies that target wellbeing
Hedonism
Nozick’s experience machine, and people’s intuitions about it
Can wellbeing be taught?
Follow Dr. Weijers’ work!
Follow Dr. Weijers’ work:
University page: https://bit.ly/3ejIAL9
Website: https://bit.ly/3nl6b3D
PhilPeople page: https://bit.ly/31Uo7d1